Building Resilience in Healthcare Education With Dr. Ana Kelly, Pt. 1

In this episode of Headroom, I sit down with Dr. Ana Kelly, an associate professor of nursing at Columbia University, to discuss her remarkable journey in healthcare and academia.

Dr. Kelly shares how her time in the Peace Corps—teaching biology in Namibia and working in health clinics—sparked her passion for nursing. Upon returning to Michigan, she pursued a nursing degree and discovered her love for teaching while working as a Supplemental Instructor at LCC, ultimately leading her to earn a doctorate in nursing.

We explore healthcare stigmas and how they prevent individuals from seeking care or receiving proper diagnoses. Drawing from her experience at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Kelly highlights the profound impact healthcare providers have—not just on patients, but also on their families. She emphasizes the importance of teamwork in high-stress environments, explaining how collaboration fosters both resilience and joy in a challenging field.

Dr. Kelly also discusses her research in South Africa, her five-year PhD journey, and her postdoctoral work at Columbia. One of her major findings revealed that anxiety and depression were almost never documented in patient records, despite their clear presence. She advocates for routine mental health screenings in primary care and discusses the financial and technological barriers that hinder advancements in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions.

We wrap up this part of the conversation by examining the preparation of future nurse practitioners, emphasizing the need for grit, resilience, and personal growth alongside technical expertise. Dr. Kelly’s insights offer a compelling look at the evolving landscape of healthcare and the critical role mental health plays in patient care.